Method for providing video enhanced electronic mail return receipts

ABSTRACT

A method for providing electronic mail return receipts with video of the electronic mail recipient is disclosed. The electronic mail recipient opens an electronic mail message which initiates recording of the electronic mail recipient. The recording may be terminated when the recipient closes the electronic mail or minimizes the electronic mail message window. Recording may also end after a predetermined amount of time after the electronic mail message is opened.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/238,276 (currently allowed) filed on Sep. 28, 2005,entitled, “METHOD FOR PROVIDING VIDEO ENHANCED ELECTRONIC MAIL RETURNRECEIPTS”, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/821,353 filed on Mar. 29, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,989),entitled “METHOD FOR PROVIDING VIDEO ENHANCED ELECTRONIC MAIL RETURNRECEIPTS.” Each of the above applications is herein incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a conventional paper mail context, return receipts provide valuableinformation to senders of mail. With the return receipt, the sender canverify that the intended recipient received the mail where otherwise thesender would have to rely on, for example, contacting the recipientdirectly to confirm that the mail was received. Similarly, in anelectronic mail context, return receipts are available to provide thesender of an electronic mail message some feedback as to the status oftheir electronic mail message. For example, the electronic mail messagereturn receipt may provide information such as if the electronic mailmessage was received, opened or deleted unread.

However, the major drawback of prior art electronic mail return receiptsis that, while helpful, current incarnations of these return receiptsare still very impersonal. For example, no current return receiptprovides the ability to see the electronic mail message recipient'sfacial expression/reaction when reading the electronic mail message.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a method for improving theshortcomings of prior art electronic mail message return receipts. Itwould be further desirable to have a method for providing an electronicmail message return receipt which provides some feedback as to theelectronic mail message recipients' reaction to reading the electronicmail message.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an electronic mail message return receipt whichincludes video of the electronic mail message recipient reading theelectronic mail message. In the present invention, a first user (messagesender or originator) composes an electronic mail message whichspecifies at least one electronic mail message recipient for which anelectronic mail message return receipt is required. The electronic mailmessage is sent to the recipient and when the electronic mail message isopened by the recipient, a video capture of the electronic mail messagerecipient is initiated, such as via a video capturing device at theelectronic mail message recipient's end.

The video capturing device records the recipient while the electronicmail message recipient reads the message. The video capturing devicethen stops recording when the electronic mail message recipient stopsreading the message. A return receipt is then sent to the first userwhich includes the video of the electronic mail message recipientreading the electronic mail message. The first user can then watch theelectronic mail message recipient reading the message and thus can seethe recipient's reaction when reading the electronic mail message. Inone embodiment, the return receipt may be an electronic mail messageprovided to the sender with the video of the recipient attached thereto.In one embodiment, audio may also be provided along with the video.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary configuration for providing electronic mailmessage return receipts with video enhancement in accordance with theteachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an exemplary method in accordance with theteachings of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary screen display in accordance with theteachings of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another exemplary method in accordance withthe teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a method for providing improved electronic mailmessage receipts between two or more electronic mail message users.Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary configuration for implementing thepresent invention is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, an electronicmail message originator or sender employs an electronic mail messagecompatible device, such as a personal computer 110 having a displayscreen 130 to at least send an electronic mail message 140 to one ormore designated electronic mail message recipients. In the presentinvention, electronic mail message originator 100 specifies that he/shewould like a electronic mail message return receipt associated with thereceipt of electronic mail message 140 by one or more of the designatedelectronic mail message recipients, such as by electronic mail messagerecipient 150.

Electronic mail message recipient 150 also employs an electronic mailmessage compatible device, such as a personal computer 160 having adisplay screen 170. Additionally, a video capturing device 180 iscoupled to the personal computer 160 in a manner as known in the art.Upon receiving electronic mail message 140, it is contemplated thatelectronic mail message recipient 150 will some time thereafter read theelectronic mail message 140. Typically, this is accomplished byelectronic mail message recipient selecting and “opening” the electronicmail message 140 from within some electronic mail message facility orsoftware. In the present invention, upon “opening” of the electronicmail message 140, the video capturing device 180 is activated to begincapturing the video of electronic mail message recipient readingelectronic mail message 140. Upon the closing, minimizing of electronicmail message 140 or at some predetermined time later, the videocapturing is terminated and a return receipt 190 having the capturedvideo of electronic mail message recipient 150 is provided back toelectronic mail message originator 100.

In the present invention, the electronic mail message users, such aselectronic mail message originator 100 and electronic mail messagerecipient 150 communicate and interact with each other over acommunications network, such as the Internet, which may be provided tothe user via a broadband network connection, Integrated Services DigitalNetwork (ISDN) line, conventional telephone line, or other similarnetwork. In the present invention, at least one of the communicatingparties, such as electronic mail message recipient 150 should have adevice capable of capturing video of the electronic mail messagerecipient 150 reading the electronic mail message. The video capturingdevice may also have the capability to capture audio of the electronicmail message recipient 150, such as via a microphone which may becoupled to the video capturing device. It is contemplated that theelectronic mail message originator also have such a video capturingdevice.

Software is typically provided on computers and which interacts with thevideo display screens and the video cameras and during a videocall/conference to render and provide images of the call/conferenceparticipants to one another during the call/conference. Typically theimages of the call/conference participants are provided via videodisplay windows and which can be seen via video display screens and. Inthe present invention, the video display windows and are movable so thatcall/conference participants and can move their respective video displaywindows and to fixed predetermined areas within their respective videodisplay screens and. Preferably, the fixed predetermined areas or bound.

Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention isshown. Once the electronic mail message recipient as shown and describedearlier herein has received the electronic mail message from electronicmail message sender, it is determined if the electronic mail message hasbeen opened by electronic mail message recipient, step 210. If theelectronic mail message has not been opened, no action is taken. If theelectronic mail message has been opened, video of the electronic mailmessage recipient is captured, step 220. It is then determined if theelectronic mail message is no longer being read by electronic mailmessage recipient, step 230. For purposes of the present invention, theterm “no longer being read” may have a number of meanings. For example,in one embodiment, “no longer being read” may be when the electronicmail message recipient closes the window which contains the electronicmail message which the electronic mail message recipient was reading. Inanother embodiment, “no longer being read” may mean when the windowwhich contains the electronic mail message which the electronic mailmessage recipient was reading is minimized or overlaid by anotherwindow. In yet another embodiment, a predetermined time limit may be setto decide when the electronic mail message is “no longer being read”.For example, a time limit of two minutes may be set such that if none ofthe aforementioned activities, such as the closing or minimizing of theelectronic mail message window occur before two minutes, the electronicmail message will qualify as “no longer being read.”

Once it is determined that the electronic mail message is no longerbeing read, the video capture of the electronic mail message is ended orterminated, step 240. An electronic mail message return receiptcontaining the video of the electronic mail message recipient isprovided to the electronic mail message sender or originator, step 250.In one embodiment of the present invention, the return receipt is anelectronic mail message sent back to the electronic mail message senderor originator which contains the video of the electronic mail messagerecipient as a file attachment. The video captured may be stored in anynumber of formats such as AVI, MPG, QUICKTIME, REAL VIDEO and othersimilar formats. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention,the video of the electronic mail message recipient may be provided alongwith the electronic mail message return receipt in the form of a link toa video file which may be stored remotely, such as on a network server.

In the present invention, software which implements the methodsdisclosed herein may be provided as add-ins to the user's existinge-mail programs or such code to, for example, detect the opening andclosing of an electronic mail message and activate the video capturingdevice may be transported along with the electronic mail message eachtime. For example, executable code may be provided along with theelectronic mail message which is activated upon the opening of anelectronic mail message.

It is contemplated that the present invention may be freely used amongfriends and associates but a security mechanism may be built to prohibitunauthorized or unwanted recording of electronic mail messagerecipients. A prompt may be provided either before or after recordingwhich informs the recipient that they have been recorded and whetherthey wish for the video to be sent back to the sender of the e-mail. Forexample, referring to FIG. 3, a screen may be provided after a video istaken of the electronic mail message recipient to have the recipient,for example, be able to review the video, cancel the video and/or redothe video.

Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of the present invention isshown. In this embodiment, access of an electronic mail message by anelectronic mail message receiver is detected, step 400. Access can bedetected in a number of fashions, such as determining when theelectronic mail message receiver selects a designated electronic mailmessage which has a return receipts condition attached to it. Upondetection of access, a signal to initiate video capture of electronicmail message receiver is provided, for example, to a video capturingsoftware facility which is in communication with a video camera, step410. The end of access of the electronic mail message by the electronicmail message receiver is then detected, step 420. End of access may bedetected in a number of fashions, such as determining when theelectronic mail message receiver minimizes or closes the designatedelectronic mail message. Upon detecting of the end of access, anelectronic mail message return receipt is provided to the electronicmail message sender, step 430.

One exemplary application for the present invention would be forelectronic greeting cards sent via electronic mail. For example, forbirthday greetings, the sender of the electronic mail birthday greetingwould get a video of the birthday recipient reading their birthday card.Other type of special occasion greetings send via electronic mail wouldbe ideal candidates for the video enhanced electronic mail messagereturn receipt.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with specificembodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modificationsand variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth hereinare intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A method for providing an electronic mail message return receiptbetween at least one electronic mail message originator and at least oneelectronic mail message recipient, comprising: receiving an electronicmail message which requires a video enhanced electronic mail messagereturn receipt when received by the at least one electronic mail messagerecipient; activating a video capturing device upon detecting that theat least one electronic mail message recipient has opened the electronicmail message, wherein said video capturing device captures a video ofsaid at least one electronic mail message recipient; and returning thevideo enhanced electronic mail message return receipt containing saidvideo of said at least one electronic mail message recipient to the atleast one electronic mail message originator.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein said activating comprises providing a signal to the videocapturing device to begin recording the at least one electronic mailmessage recipient.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video is savedin at least one of: an AVI format, a QUICKTIME format, a MPEG format, ora REAL VIDEO format.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said videoenhanced electronic mail message return receipt comprises a video file.5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining when the atleast one electronic mail message recipient starts reading theelectronic mail message; and determining when the at least oneelectronic mail message recipient stops reading the electronic mailmessage.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: ending a captureof said video when the at least one electronic mail message recipientstops reading the electronic mail message.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein said electronic mail message is tagged as requiring said videoenhanced electronic mail message return receipt by the at least oneelectronic mail message originator.
 8. A method for providing anelectronic mail message return receipt, comprising: determining when anelectronic mail message recipient has started reading an electronic mailmessage having an electronic mail message return receipt requirementthat requires an electronic mail message return receipt; taking of avideo of the electronic mail message recipient when the electronic mailmessage recipient has started reading the electronic mail message;determining when the electronic mail message recipient has stoppedreading the electronic mail message; and providing the video of theelectronic mail message recipient back to an originator of saidelectronic mail message who specified said electronic mail messagereturn receipt requirement.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein saiddetermining when the electronic mail message recipient has startedreading the electronic mail message comprises: detecting when theelectronic mail message is opened.
 10. The method of claim 8, whereinsaid determining when the electronic mail message recipient has stoppedreading the electronic mail message comprises: detecting when theelectronic mail message is closed.
 11. The method of claim 8, whereinsaid determining when the electronic mail message recipient has stoppedreading the electronic mail message comprises: detecting when theelectronic mail message is minimized.
 12. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: halting said taking of said video after a predetermined timelimit.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein said taking of said video ofthe electronic mail message recipient comprises: providing a signal to avideo camera to begin taking of said video.
 14. A method for providingan electronic mail message return receipt, comprising: receiving anelectronic mail message having a return receipt requirement specifiedfor the electronic mail message by a sender of the electronic mailmessage; providing the electronic mail message to at least oneelectronic mail message receiver; determining when the at least oneelectronic mail message receiver opens the electronic mail message;capturing of a video of the at least one electronic mail messagereceiver upon opening of the electronic mail message by the at least oneelectronic mail message receiver; and providing an electronic mailmessage return receipt to the sender of the electronic mail message,wherein the electronic mail message return receipt includes the video ofthe at least one electronic mail message receiver reading the electronicmail message.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said capturingcomprises providing a signal to a video camera upon determining the atleast one electronic mail message receiver has opened the electronicmail message.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the video is attachedas a file to the electronic mail message return receipt.
 17. The methodof claim 14, wherein the video includes an audio of the at least oneelectronic mail message receiver.
 18. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: providing the at least one electronic mail message receiverwith an opportunity to review and cancel the video.
 19. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the video is provided as a link to a video file. 20.The method of claim 14, further comprising: halting said capturing ofsaid video after a predetermined time limit.